BAL

Friday 9 August 2019

Last Saturday match 4 of our Premier League mens team was held in Birmingham. Our team finished last in match, and 8th in final league position. The team had the lowest team points after 4 matches. Now the season is over, the club needs to reflect on reasons why we were relegated. The BAL team is weak in a number of positions that in short term, recruitment via higher claim athletes will help, in longer term, development of our younger athletes in team, together with recruitment of coaches, particulary in technical events. Clashes with other events did not help our BAL team. Many BAL athletes were selected for competitions abroad, or events in UK that clashed with BAL dates. In Birmingham, our team had no athletes in 6 events, and 3 events with no B athletes. Congratulations to all athletes who turned out for our BAL team during the 2019 season.    

Standard of competition in the Premier League is high with team points not easily gained. Birchfield dominated the league with 31 match points (32 max points). We had 16 athletes included U17x1, and U20x5. Blackheath & Bromley the other team relegated, had 24 athletes including U17x1 and U20x7.

Birchfield had 32 athletes. Second team had 30 athletes. Third team had 29 athletes. Hence they gained the most team points.

There seems to be more competing matches by representative teams, that affect BAL teams. UKWAL League have 3 matches, that might be a point for future consideration. Elite athletes will rarly compete for their clubs due international competitions. Next year is Olympics in Japan, many athletes not just the elite ones will target trials for GB teams.

Swansea were relegated and haven't got back to the Premier league they recruited a number of higher claim athletes, and finished 4th in BAL Division 1. We will be competing against Swansea, and will be an interesting 2020 season for top Welsh club.